87 - Do We Need More LGBTQ Politicians? Evidence from the Mental Cost of Hate Crime

Abstract Information: Exposure to certain negative information affects mental health and especially affects one of the minorities. This study investigates the impact of hate crime exposure on the mental health of LGBTQ individuals, particularly focusing on the differential effects on same-sex households (SSH) and different-sex households (DSH).

Utilizing data from the FBI's Hate Crime Statistics Program (HCSP), we quantified occurrences of hate crimes against LGBTQ individuals. The HCSP compiles data on crimes motivated by biases, including sexual orientation and gender identity, that are reported to the police and subsequently classified as hate crimes. To assess the mental well-being of the LGBTQ community, we employed data from The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This dataset allows us to distinguish between SSH and DSH, facilitating a comparative analysis of their mental health conditions.

Our findings reveal that individuals in SSH are more susceptible to the adverse mental health impacts of hate crimes. Specifically, a 1% increase in hate crime incidents results in a twofold increase in both the likelihood and duration of mental health issues for SSH individuals, compared to those in DSH. Additionally, the study examines the varying impacts of different levels of hate crime exposure, indicating that the negative mental health effects escalate more significantly among SSH individuals as the frequency of hate crimes increases.

In the second part of the study, we explore whether the presence of LGBTQ politicians can mitigate the negative impact of hate crimes. By integrating data on LGBTQ politicians from Wikipedia, we expanded our model to include the influence of having an LGBTQ leader and their party affiliation (Republican or Democratic). The analysis, controlling for the presence of previous LGBTQ politicians in a given state, shows that LGBTQ leadership significantly reduces the negative mental health impacts of hate crimes. The presence of a Democratic LGBTQ politician in office notably decreases the probability of mental health issues by 0.48 percent for SSH individuals (0.36 percent for DSH), the probability of extreme mental health issues by 0.29 percent (0.20 percent for DSH), and the duration of mental health issues by 0.03 day (0.01 day for DSH).

Conversely, the presence of a Republican LGBTQ leader, though less common, significantly mitigates the negative mental health impacts among DSH individuals, with a reduction in the probability of mental health issues by 0.92 percent, extreme mental health issues by 0.68 percent, and the duration of mental health issues by 0.12 day. However, these effects are not statistically significant for SSH individuals.

This study underscores the heightened vulnerability of LGBTQ individuals, particularly those in SSH, to the mental health impacts of hate crimes. It also highlights the potential of LGBTQ political representation, especially Democratic leaders, in mitigating these adverse effects. The findings emphasize the need for targeted policy interventions and support systems to address the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ community in the context of hate crimes.